Chapter 6
by @aishatu98
“The truth has no shame. It waits in silence until you’re brave enough to hear it.”
Ranar Litinin. Safna ta saka abaya mai launin shudi mai duhu, veil ɗinta ya rufe fuskarta.
Salma ta ce, “Are you sure about this trip?”
“If I don’t go now, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I need to know what really happened to Fahad.”
🚌
The Road to Zaria
Ta zauna a cikin motar Uber, kallon hanya cike da tunani. Zuciyarta na bugawa kamar ana kirgawa.
Every turn on the road felt like a step closer to pain, but also… a step closer to peace.
Lokacin da ta isa unguwar Zara Aliyu, sai ta tsaya a bakin gate na wani katon gida mai brick wall da flowers masu ƙamshi.
Ta kira lambar Zara. Ta ce:
“Hello, this is Mrs. Safna Khalil… I need to speak with your sister.”
🕯️ THE MEETING
An shigo da ita cikin parlor mai tsabta da kayan Turkish da kamshi mai launin vanilla.
Zara ba ta nan. Sai Yusra, elder sister ɗin Zara, ta fito.
Tall, confident, glass heels, and eyes that knew too much.
“So… the wife finally found her way here.”
“I thought you’d come.”
Safna ta ce da nutsuwa:
“Tell me what happened to Fahad.”
“Your husband happened.”
“Fahad was framed for something he didn’t do. A business scandal that didn’t even exist.”
“Khalil used Zara as bait. He offered her sister connections in Europe. But all he wanted… was Fahad out of the picture.”
Safna ta daure hawaye.
“But why?”
Yusra ta sha jinin jikinta.
“Because Fahad loved you in a way Khalil never could.”
💔 THE HIDDEN FILE
Yusra ta miƙa mata wata flash drive da paper.
“Fahad gave this to me before he left. He wanted you to see it… if anything ever happened to him.”
“He didn’t disappear. He was exiled.”
Safna ta karɓa. Idonta ya kada.
“Is he alive?”
“Last I heard… yes. But he’s hiding. For his own safety.”
🕊️ THE VOW
Da Safna ta dawo hotel ɗinta a Zaria, ta kulle kanta a ɗaki. Ta kunna flash drive ɗin.
Akwai video guda ɗaya.
Fahad a cikin ɗaki mai ƙaramin haske, yana kallon camera.
“Safna… if you’re seeing this, it means I failed to protect us. But at least you’ll know the truth.”
“I didn’t leave because I stopped loving you. I left because loving you meant risking your life too.”
Hawayen Safna ya zubo.
“He never stopped loving me.”
“He left… so I could live.”